As everyone knows by now, the Padres went 37-25 over the final 62 games last season to finish with 75 wins — a 12-game improvement over the near 100-loss season of 2008.

Going into spring training — pitchers and catchers are due to report today in Peoria, Ariz. — Padres brass is optimistic that the Padres will again show improvement in 2010.

But where exactly are the Padres compared with last season at this time?

Have the additions of right-handed starter Jon Garland, brothers Scott and Jerry Hairston Jr. and catcher Yorvit Torrealba along with a more experienced cadre of young players significantly improved the Padres in a year?

A position-by-position look at these Padres compared to the team heading into spring training last year:

Starting pitching

The situation has improved dramatically since last spring.

Last year, the Padres had a solid 1-2 punch going into spring training with Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy and Chris Young at the top of the rotation. After that, however, it was a mess. With Cha Seung Baek hurt, the Padres had to plug Mexican import Walter Silva and oft-injured Shawn Hill into the rotation in the final days of spring training.

Padres manager, and former pitching coach, Bud Black says the depth at starting pitching is the best he has seen in his four springs. That might not be totally true if Young struggles following shoulder surgery.

But Black believes he has four solid starters in workhorse free-agent signee Garland, Young, Kevin Correia (who had a breakout season for the Padres last year) and left-hander Clayton Richard, who came from the White Sox in the Peavy trade.

At No. 5, there is at least a four-way battle with 22-year-old Mat Latos, Tim Stauffer, Sean Gallagher and Wade LeBlanc. Cesar Ramos might also be in the mix. Any of those five are more serviceable than Silva and Hill. Major improvement.

Bullpen

The Padres went into last spring with more questions in the bullpen than in the rotation. The only proven relievers were Heath Bell, Cla Meredith and Mike Adams – and Bell had never before closed while Adams was again rehabbing after surgery.

When Mark Worrell was lost to elbow reconstruction surgery, the Padres were in serious trouble. Three eventual bullpen regulars — Luke Gregerson, Edward Mujica, Luis Perdomo — joined the organization late in the spring.

Today, the Padres return Bell, Adams, Gregerson, Mujica and Perdomo plus Joe Thatcher, Ryan Webb and Adam Russell. If Gallagher doesn’t win a spot in the rotation, he’ll likely be in the bullpen. And Aaron Poreda, acquired with Richard and Russell in the Peavy trade, is a top prospect. Major improvement.

Position players

First base: As long as Adrian Gonzalez is still a Padre, the Padres will be getting better at this position because at 27, Gonzalez is just coming into his prime. Homer total has climbed from 30 to 36 to 40 the past three seasons in San Diego. If/when he is traded, Kyle Blanks moves to first. At the moment, slight improvement.